- GH₵21 billion owed to road contractors for completed work
- Many contractors exited sites due to prolonged non-payment
- Government plans to pay GH₵4 billion this month to restart stalled projects
The Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwame Governs Agbodza, has revealed that the government currently owes road contractors an estimated GH₵21 billion in unpaid arrears.
Speaking at a press briefing on Tuesday, July 8, the minister explained that the failure to pay contractors for completed works has led to a mass withdrawal from project sites across the country.
According to him, many contractors took out loans to pre-finance infrastructure projects, expecting prompt reimbursement. However, prolonged delays in payments have made it financially unviable for them to continue operations.
“At the time of transition, we were informed that a significant number of contractors had abandoned their sites. Many completed work and submitted certificates, some dating back to 2018, but these were never honoured. As a result, they couldn’t sustain their activities,” Agbodza stated.
He emphasized the scale of the problem, linking the backlog directly to the current inactivity at various road construction sites nationwide.
In a bid to address the issue, the minister announced that the government plans to settle GH₵4 billion of the outstanding GH₵21 billion beginning this month.
“If you listened to the President yesterday, he made it clear that before the end of this month, the Finance Minister will initiate payments to reduce the arrears. We’re committed to paying GH₵4 billion to enable contractors to return to site and resume their work,” he added.
